Fountain Faucet

ABSTRACT

A faucet for producing a water-fountain for drinking or rinsing a person&#39;s mouth. The fountain-faucet comprises a main body and a valve. The main body defines an exterior surface and an outlet water passage located inside the main body. The outlet water passage is in communication with a water outlet. The valve produces a fountain of water when a user puts a finger under the water outlet, which creates a back-pressure sufficient to cause a fountain of water to pass through the valve. The valve is located in the main body and is in operable communication with the outlet water passage and the exterior surface of the main body such that when a person puts a finger under the water outlet a back-pressure causes water to pass through the valve to produce a fountain of water. In another embodiment the valve is preplaced with a conical shaped funnel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 61/348,003, filed May 25, 2010. The entirecontent of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/348,003 isincorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to drinking and oral hygiene devices. Morespecifically, the invention is a fountain-faucet for producing afountain of water for drinking or rinsing a person's mouth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 7,090,144, water faucets of the type commonlyused in households provide a stream of water directed downwardly towardsthe sink. To get a drink of water, a container such as a cup or glassmust be filled. In households with multiple people, this can requirenumerous glasses being used on a daily basis. A water fountain likedevice could help eliminate the need for washing numerous glasses, andmakes getting a drink of water more convenient.

A bathroom faucet capable of producing a fountain of water wouldlikewise save on cups and also enable a person who has just brushedtheir teeth to rinse their mouth without having to cup their hands underthe faucet. Similarly, at a dental office a patient could wash out theirmouth after dental work on their teeth and/or mouth without requiring acup.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,079,088, discloses a fountain attachment for faucets.The '088 attachment converts an ordinary water faucet into a drinkingfountain. The '088 inventive device comprises a housing containing arotatable disc with a boss on one surface thereof which provides a valvecontrol for selectively causing water from the faucet either to flowthrough a down stream spout or through a fountain channel, as desired.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,775, discloses a drinking fountain attachment for afaucet, such as a kitchen or bathroom faucet, the attachment having atubular body portion threaded at the upper end for attachment to adownwardly extending faucet and having an orifice opening in the tubularside wall, a spigot element fixed to the exterior of the tubular bodycommunicating with the orifice, providing means for discharging watertherefrom in an upward direction to provide a fountain drinking stream.A tubular control member is rotatably supported to the tubular bodylower end. A tubular elastomeric member is received within the body andcontrol member and secured at each end in tension whereby the controlmember is retained in rotatable axial alignment with the body member,the elastomeric member serving to restrict flow of water through thetubular body and control member when the control member is rotated tothereby direct water out the orifice and the spigot to produce adrinking fountain.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,320,530 discloses a fountain device. The '530 fountaindevice is fitted to a faucet to provide a user with a drinking fountain.The '530 device comprises a spout and a pull knob.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or incombination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A faucet for producing a water-fountain for drinking or rinsing aperson's mouth. The fountain-faucet comprises a main body and a valve.The main body defines an exterior surface and an outlet water passagelocated inside the main body. The outlet water passage is incommunication with a water outlet. The valve produces a fountain ofwater when a user puts a finger under the water outlet, which creates aback-pressure sufficient to cause a fountain of water to pass throughthe valve. The valve is located in the main body and is in operablecommunication with the outlet water passage and the exterior surface ofthe main body such that when a person puts a finger under the wateroutlet a back-pressure causes water to pass through the valve to producea fountain of water. In another embodiment the valve is preplaced with aconical shaped funnel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a perspective environmental view of a device according tothe invention.

FIG. 1B shows a perspective environmental view of a device according tothe invention.

FIG. 2 shows a close up view of a tip according to the invention.

FIG. 2B shows a close up view of a threaded tip according to theinvention.

FIG. 2C shows a close up view of a tip with a nozzle according to theinvention.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a prior art device.

FIG. 5A shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to theinvention.

FIG. 5B shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to theinvention.

FIG. 5C shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to theinvention.

FIG. 5D shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to theinvention.

FIG. 6A shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to theinvention.

FIG. 6B shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to theinvention.

FIG. 6C shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to theinvention.

FIG. 7 shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to theinvention.

FIG. 8 shows a Table of parts.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistentlythroughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is directed to drinking and oral hygiene devices.More specifically, the invention is a fountain-faucet for producing afountain of water for drinking or rinsing a person's mouth. Thefountain-faucet of the present invention is denoted by the referencenumeral 100 as a whole. A summary of component parts are listed in Table1 (see FIG. 8).

The fountain-faucet 100 comprises a main body 120. The main body 120defines a main body exterior surface 140. An outlet water passage 160 islocated inside the main body 120. The outlet water passage 160 is incommunication with a water outlet 180. During normal operation water Wtravels through the outlet water passage 160 and exits out of the wateroutlet 180.

The main body 120 defines an aperture 200 located between the exteriorsurface 140 and the outlet water passage 160. The aperture 200 enclosesa mechanism such as a tip 260 or valve 280 which in default mode doesnot allow water from the outlet water passage 160 to exit through theaperture 200, but when a person restricts the flow of water W exitingthe water outlet 180 back-pressure results and the mechanism responds tothe resulting water back-pressure by allowing water to travel throughthe aperture 200 to produce a fountain of water 240. A person using thefountain-faucet 100 of the present invention can drink or rinse theirmouth using the fountain of water 240.

The mechanism can be a valve 280. In one embodiment the mechanism is atip 260 in the form of a conical funnel with open opposite ends; FIG. 2shows a close up view of tip 260. The tip 260 can be provided with anexternal thread 270. A tip 260 having an external thread 270 is shown inFIG. 2B).

In one embodiment the tip 260 has a nozzle 263 with a nozzle inletopening 264 as shown in FIG. 2C; this embodiment the tip 260 isparticularly useful for use with respect to high pressure faucets. Morespecifically, FIG. 2C shows a tip 260 in the form of a conical shapedfunnel comprising a nozzle 263, wherein the nozzle 263 is fitted with aninlet opening 264 to allow water from the outlet water passage 160 topass through the conical shaped funnel when a person presses a hand orfinger under the water outlet 180.

The tip 260 can be any tip having a through-funnel that allows water toflow through the tip. A non-limiting example of such a tip provided withwriting instruments such as pens, e.g., a Zebra G301 pen such as theZebra G301 gel retractable black ink pen.

The inventor discovered that even though the tip 260 is open both ends,water does not travel through the tip 260 until the inventor obstructsthe flow of water out of outlet 180 by, for example, putting his/herfinger F, thumb, palm, or hand up against the water outlet 180 (see,e.g., FIGS. 1A and 1B).

In one embodiment, the mechanism for producing a water fountain 240 is avalve 280. The valve 280 can be any suitable valve able to produce afountain of water 240. The valve 280 is fitted into aperture 200 of mainbody 120 (see FIG. 3A). The valve works by being responsive to waterback-pressure created when a user obstructs the flow of water out ofoutlet 180. For example, when a user of the fountain-faucet 100 puts afinger F across outlet 180 the backpressure causes the valve 280 to opento produce a water fountain 240.

The valve 280 can be any suitable valve. For example, in FIG. 6A thevalve is a Schrader valve (represented by alpha-numeric label 280 a)with an elongated valve stem 300. The valve stem 300 includes stem-end310. The stem-end 310 is located proximate to the water outlet 180 suchthat a person's hand or part thereof can easily access the stem-end 310to push the stem-end 310 upwards. The valve stem 300 is coupled to aspring 320. A person can activate the valve 280 to produce a fountain ofwater 240 by placing, for example, a finger F up against water outlet180 and pushing the stem 300 upwards against the spring 320 therebyallowing water in the outlet water passage 160 to pass through the valve280 a to produce a water fountain 240.

A person can adjust the height of the water fountain 240. For example,if a finger is pressed firmly against the water outlet 180 and seals thewater outlet 180 to the extent that water can not exit through the wateroutlet 180 then the height of the water fountain 240 is maximized. Thewater fountain 240 disappears when a faucet user stops obstructing theflow of water out of water outlet 180 and/or lets the valve stem 300return to its default position causing the valve 280 a to close.

It should be understood that the fountain-faucet and the variouselements described herein are set forth merely to facilitate a completeunderstanding of the device 100, and should not be read as limiting theinvention.

1. A fountain-faucet, comprising: a main body having an exterior surfaceand an outlet water passage located inside the main body, wherein theoutlet water passage is in communication with a water outlet; and avalve for producing a fountain of water when a user puts a finger underthe water outlet, said valve being located in the main body, whereinsaid valve is in operable communication with the outlet water passageand the exterior surface of the main body such that when a person puts afinger under the water outlet a back-pressure causes water to passthrough said valve to produce a fountain of water.
 2. A fountain-faucet,comprising: a main body having an exterior surface and an outlet waterpassage located inside the main body, wherein the outlet water passageis in communication with a water outlet; and a conical shaped funnel forproducing a fountain of water when a user puts a finger under the wateroutlet, said funnel being located in the main body, wherein said funnelis in operable communication with the outlet water passage and theexterior surface of the main body such that when a person puts a fingerunder the water outlet a back-pressure causes water to pass through saidfunnel to produce a fountain of water.
 3. A fountain-faucet, comprising:a main body having an exterior surface and an outlet water passagelocated inside the main body, wherein the outlet water passage is incommunication with a water outlet; and a means for producing a fountainof water when a user puts a finger under the water outlet, said meansfor producing a fountain of water being located in the main body,wherein said means for producing a fountain of water is in operablecommunication with the outlet water passage and the exterior surface ofthe main body such that when a person puts a finger under the wateroutlet a back-pressure causes water to pass through said means forproducing a fountain of water.
 4. The fountain-faucet of claim 3,wherein the means for producing a fountain of water is a valve, thevalve functioning by being responsive to back-pressure caused when aperson presses their hand or finger under the water outlet whereupon thevalve opens to produce a fountain of water.
 5. The fountain-faucet ofclaim 3, wherein the means for producing a fountain of water is aconical shaped funnel, the funnel functioning by being responsive toback-pressure caused when a person presses their hand or finger underthe water outlet whereupon the funnel opens to produce a fountain ofwater.
 6. The fountain-faucet of claim 5, wherein conical shaped funnelcomprises a nozzle, wherein the nozzle is fitted with an inlet openingto allow water from the outlet water passage to pass through the conicalshaped funnel when a person presses a hand or finger under the wateroutlet of the faucet.